Carl kellner



(No Model.)

0. KELLNER, PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY PRODUCING AMMONIA, SODIUM HYDROXID, AND UHLORIN.

Patented Mar. 9, 1897.

&

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL KELLNER, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR SJMULTANEOUSLY PRODUCING AMMONIA, SODIUM HYDROXID, AND

- CHLORIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,457, dated March 9, 1897.

Application filed February 24, 1896. Serial No. 580,566. (No model.) Patented in Germany July 14,1893, No. 80,300; in Switzerland July 14,1893, No.- 7,023,' in Belgium July 14, 1893, No. 105,556; in England July 14, 1893, No. 13,722; in Sweden July 14, 1893, No. 5,505 in Norway July 14,1893, No. 3,651 in France July 15,1893, No. 231,554; in Italy September 30, 1893, XXVII, 34,522, LXVII, 453, and in Austria-Hungary October 22, 1893, No. 37,778 and No. 58,884,

To all whom it may concern:

v Be it known that I, CARL KELLNER, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Vienna, in the Province of Lower Austria, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for the Simultaneous Production of Ammonia,Sodium Hydroxid, and Ohlorin, (for which patents have been obtained in the following countries, to wit: Austria Hungary, No. 37,778 and No. 58,884, dated October 22,1893; Germany, No. 80,300, dated July 14, 1893; Switzerland, No. 7,023, dated July 14, 1893; France,'No. 231,554, dated July 15,1893; Belgium, No. 105,556, dated July 14, 1893; Italy, Vol. 27, No. 34,522, and Vol. 67, No. 453, dated September 30, 1893; England, No. 13,722, dated July 14, 1893; Sweden, No. 5,505, dated July 14, 1893, and Norway, No. 3,651, dated July 14, 1893;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form .a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object the electrolytic production of sodium hydroxid, chlorin, and ammonia from sodium chlorid and the conversion of the heat evolved in the decomposition of the sodium amalgam into electric energy.

The process consists, essentially, in electrolytically decomposing sodium chlorid in presence of a mercury cathode, whereby chlorin and sodium amalgam are formed in decomposing the amalgam in presence of sodium nitrate, whereby sodium hydroxid and ammonia are produed, and in converting the heat resulting from. this decomposition into electric energy. In this process the ammonia is obtained in a pure state and forms, therefore,- a valuable by-product. It is collected and condensed or liquefied, the chlorin being likewise collected for use for any purpose. The mercury performs here an important function, in

that it takes up the sodium and acts as a vehicle therefor to bring it into contact with the sodium nitrate. As the nitrate is used in the form of an aqueous solution preferably above normal temperature, the hydrogen evolved in the decomposition of such nitrate by the sodium acts as a reducing or oxidizing agent, resulting in the decomposition of the nitrate into ammonia and sodium hydroxid, while the heat resulting from this decomposition is converted into electrical energy and utilized for any purpose.

With a view to economy and to the production of the hydroxidv on a commercial scale the process is made a continuous one by returning the mercury after having given up its sodium to the electrolyzer, while the electrolyte is also returned to its source, where it is regenerated.

The construction and operation of the apparatus for carrying out the process will be fully understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a sectional side elevation, and Fig. 2 a like plan View, both being partly broken through with a portion of one of the covers shown removed in said Fig. 2.

In the drawings, A indicates the 'electro lytic apparatus, composed of avesselA, made of any suitable material capable of resisting the action of chlorin as well as that of the electrolyte, as wood, cement, and the like, said vessel being provided with a gas-tight cover D, to which is secured a pipe E, through which the chlorin generated passes off into a suitable gas-holder. (Not shown.) The bottom K of the vessel A has the form of an inverted cone, with an outlet-orifice M at the and said rib forms practically a spiral or helical path, terminating at the outflow-opening M, and proximate to the beginning of or entrance to said path lies the discharge end of a pipe 19 through which the mercury is returned after being deprived of its sodium, as hereinafter described.

Above the bottom K of vessel A and but slightly above the curved cross-partition F is arranged the anode B, so-as to form between the two a narrow passage, said anode being arranged horizontally and composed of a number of carbon or platinum plates in contact with one another and secured to the end wall proximate to the said cross-partition F or on that end wall where the electrolyte is fed to and exhausted from the vessel A, said anode extending nearly to the opposite end wall of said vessel, leaving a narrow passage L.

The electrolyte is contained in a suitable tank B and is forced into vessel A by means of a pump 1) and suction and force pipes 19 and G, respectively, on a line slightly below the upper edge of the cross-partition F and below the anode B, said cross-partition having a rearwardly-inclined rear face, Fig. 1, the spent electrolyte being drawn off through pipe H. The anode B and the mercury cathode C are connected with the positive and negative poles of a suitable source of electricity (not shown) by wires 1) and n, respectively.

The amalgam flows from the outflow M of the electrolyzer into the f unnel-shaped terminal of a pipe P and thence into a second or decomposing vessel 0, constructed of or whose inner space or chamber a is lined with stone, cement, or the like and provided with a bottom that inclines from the feed to the discharge end of said vessel, said bottom being covered or lined with sheet-iron 1), preferably ribbed or corrugated transversely. Above said bottom and parallel therewith is suspended from chains Z an electrode (1, constructed of any suitable material in the form of a grate or grid silvered, gilded, or platinized, the amalgam constituting the other electrode.

The suspended negative electrode d is connected with a main wire a and the amalgam through the sheet-metal covering with a plus wire 19, through which the heat developed during the decomposition and converted into electric energy is carried off for use in any desired manner.

As the vessel 0 is in practice of a comparatively great length to admit of the decomposition of the amalgam flowing over its bottom, I provide a sectional cover 70, the sections having depending flanges seating in suitable grooves or channels 0, which are filled with a liquid, as water, for instance, that serves as a luting to prevent the escape of ammonia, which is drawn of]? through a pipe f into a storagetank orcondenser. (Not shown.)

.At the lowermost point of the inclined bottom of vessel 0, z'. 6., at the discharge end of said vessel, is arranged a pipe e, through which the mercury flows into and through the coils d of the cooler D when a heated solution of nitrate is used or when such solution is heated in vessel 0, as by means of steam admitted through a pipe h, projecting into the vessel, that part of said pipe within said vessel being perforated, while the solution of sodium nitrate is supplied to the vessel from an overhead tank E through pipe g. A cooling agent, as cold water, is supplied to the cooler D through pipe (P, the mercury flowing through the coil d being discharged through a pipe 01 into a receiver V, connected by a pipe 12 with the suction-port of a pump V,

whose discharge-port is connected with the pipe 19 hereinabove referred to.

Through the medium of the pump V and the spiral or helical rib a on the bottom of the electrolyzer A the mercury is caused to follow a spiral or helical path. In fact, it receives within the electrolyzer a gyrating motion toward the outflow or deepest portion of the conical bottom K of said electrolyzer, while the electrolyte passes over the mercury in the form of acomparatively thin sheet and with sufficient velocity to carry with it all bubbles of chlorin adhering to or forming on the under side of the anode 13, the chlorin being carried along with the electrolyte from the under side to the upper side of the said anode through passage L and is then free to rise above the surface of the electrolyte, from whence it escapes through pipe E. In this manner the decomposition of the electrolyte is materially expedited and an accumulation of chlorin on the under side of the anode prevented.

The object of corrugating or ribbing the bottom I) of the decomposing vessel is to retard the flow of amalgam over it, whereby such amalgam is kept in presence of the nitrate solution for a longer period of time than would be the case otherwise, in fact for a sufficiently long period to effect the decomposition of the amalgam, the sodium-hydroxid lye flowing out of the decomposing vessel through pipe m. i

The sodium amalgam as it flows over the inclined corrugated bottom I? of the vessel 0 is decomposed by its action upon the heated nitrate solution into sodium hydroxid and ammonia. The ammonia thus obtained in a pure form constitutes a highly valuable byproduct and passes off through pipe f, while the more or less heated mercury passes first through the cooler D and thence to vessel V, from which it is forced back by pump V to the electrolyzer.

It will thus be seen that both the mercury and the electrolyte circulate in a practically closed circuit. The former where exposed is protected by a liquid, so that a loss of this valuable substance is avoided. The electro lyte, on the other hand, after leaving the electrolyzer A is returned to tank 13, where it is regenerated or enriched again.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In the electrolytic decomposition of alkali-metalchlorids in presence of a mercury cathode and a suitable anode, the improve-- ment which consists in decomposing the chlorid, forming an amalgam, and imparting to the amalgam a gyrating motion toward a central point, for the purpose set forth.

2. In the electrolytic decomposition of alkali-metal chlorids in presence of a mercury cathode and a suitable anode, the improvement which consists in maintaining the oathode in the form of a comparatively thin layer in continuous motion in a helical direction toward a central point and causing the amalgam formed to fiow'off at said central point, for the purpose set forth.

3. In the production of alkali-metal hydroxids, the. improvement which consists in first forming an alkali-metal amalgam with mercury, decomposing the amalgam by contact with a solution (preferably heated) of the nitrate of such alkali metal, and converting the chemical energy of the reaction into electrical energy, substantially as set forth.

4:. In the production of alkali-metal hydroxids, the improvement which consists in first forming an alkali-metal amalgam with mercury and causing the'amalgam to flow over a conductive surface in the presence of a solution of the nitrate of such alkali metal and a suitable electrode, for the purpose set forth.

5. The herein-described process of obtaining alkali-metal hydroxids and chlorin and ammonia as by-products, which consists in electrolytically decomposing a chlorid of such metalin presence of a mercury cathode whereby chlorin and alkali -metal amalgam are formed, collecting; the former and bringing the latter in contact with a solution (preferably heated) of a nitrate of said metal in presence of a suitable electrode, whereby ammonia and an alkali-m etal hydroxid are formed.

6. In the production of alkali-metal hydroxnitrate of such metal and back again to the electrolyte, and collecting the chlorin, ammonia and alkali-metal hydroxid obtained separately, substantially as set forth.

7. The herein-described electrolyzer comprising a vessel provided with a conical bottom having a helical rib starting about the central or deepest point, and with an outfloworifice at said deepest point of the bottom, a vertical curvilinear cross-partition on one side of said helical rib and an anode extending across the vessel from one of its end walls nearly to the other a little above said crosspartition, said vessel provided with an inletport below the anode in rear of the cross-partition and with an outlet-port above said anode on the inlet side of such vessel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The herein-described decomposing vessel provided with a transversely ribbed or corrugated conductive bottom inclining from the supply to the discharge end, an electrode constructed in the form of a grate or grid suspended above said bottom parallel therewith, electric conductors connected with the bot: tom and electrode respectively, means for closing the vessel gas-tight and means for heating the contents of such vessel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL KELLNER.

Witnesses:

DEAN R. MASON, HARRY BELMONT. 

